Final Fantasy XIV: The Thirteenth
by Cultsu
Summary: In the year 2021 Final Fantasy XIV has released the third expansion Twilight Warden. A girl who finally achieved a small goal is transported into this world to serve some divine purpose she knows nothing about using the body of her original game character. Against a force that will upset the balance and sever the threads of fate she must stand as the first and last line of defense.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Welcome to Eorzea

~~2021~~

 **Part 01**

Final Fantasy 14 is an MMO originally released a little more than a decade ago by a company that was not originally known for making online games. The predecessor of the game Final Fantasy 11 was by far one of the company's biggest failures that would be remembered for a long time and though it was thought to have been put to rest it was later revived as Final Fantasy 14 bringing into the picture large improvements and game mechanics not present in its predecessor. Because of these changes the game ultimately saw success and climbed the ladder into becoming one of the top five MMO's of its time.

The games has gone through three major expansions since then. The first being Heavensward, the second being Storm Blood and the last being Twilight Warden. Each expansion introducing two new classes as well as new content and improvements to the overall mechanics (though some would argue the improvements). Twilight Warden being the newest of the expansions and currently the longest. It has been released four months ago and there are still people racing to complete it with no success. Its main theme however seems to be centered around the patron deities known in the game as 'The Twelve'. Before Twilight Warden barely any information had been released about The Twelve. Only that they were the original inhabitants of the world the game takes place in and that they gave the races the world. Because of this they are referred to as the original gods of this world.

Though many players are rushing to get to the end of Twilight Warden I myself, Siana Morgan, am trying to leisurely play through at my own pace. I have always specialized in magic classes and have always gotten my magic classes up to the highest level I could. Today marks the day I get my newest class as well as my last magic class to the maximum lvl of 80. The fanfare sounds off as the golden letters in front of me say Level up. The sense of accomplishment within me wells up as I begin to stretch in my chair.

Leaning back I stare at the ceiling with a stupid grin as I think back on the long hours of gameplay I put into this accomplishment.

Before the newest expansion there was a dungeon known as Palace of the Dead (potd for short) was the dungeon everyone used to grind in. It was the most efficient way to Level if not tedious but unfortunately after level 70 you couldn't receive any experience from stages under level 70 including POTD. It made the grinding in the game much more difficult but the quest in Twilight Warden were far better at storytelling and the rewards made them all the better to complete. No quest was just simple and usually led to a series of quest that sometimes couldn't be completed without doing other quests as well. Even the dungeons were more intricate and far more beautiful than the other expansions (in my opinion).

Getting all of my magic classes to level 80 was a huge undertaking. Because of the fact that POTD is no longer used by high level players most people only focus on leveling one or two characters now as their main classes. There are players like me who level multiple characters but now most say that past 70 it's not worth the time and effort anymore. I personally like to have variety though. Since I was leveling this character I had already bought its final set of equipment and fully augmented it.

I looked back at the screen and equipped the fully augmented equipment I had prepared beforehand bringing my item level to 635. Afterwards I used a glamour crystal to make the armor look like the Dawn Maiden clothes I received from a quest a few quests back. After casting the glamour my character was wrapped in a cloth that looked as if it was made from astral lights that cover her chest and her waist down to her knees. Gold embroidery that didn't look at all out of place or too gaudy was strewn through the edges of the cloth and a single jewel was embedded in the center of the chest right above her cleavage. Another cloth wrapped around her wrist and curved like an arc over her head over to the other wrist giving a kind of divine feeling. The best part of the cosmetic was the white silver magic circle that appeared at her back with an intricate design that made you think the art designers were probably masochist with the amount of attention to detail. It was a cosmetic set that considering the amount of work put into the quest to obtain it was mostly considered not to be worth it by majority of players so very few had it. It was still very valuable though since it was one of the sets that couldn't be made using any of the crafting classes.

I reveled in the fact I had achieved my main goal as I stared at the Magus I had put countless hours into. My characters pale white skin in contrast to the black horns and scales she had on her body really made her seem like an otherworldly existence.

Ping

A notification suddenly appeared with an achievement attached to it that briefly said Patron Deity of Magic followed by another notification informing me I had a new title. I immediately went to my achievements tab in the main menu and found the achievement. Strangely enough when I clicked on the details they looked as follow:

Patron Deity of Magic

Acquisition: ?

Details: ?

Title: The Thirteenth

Status: Locked

Everything about the achievement was strange. Usually if you don't have the achievement it would still be in the list but greyed out until the prerequisite conditions were met. This one was weird because I don't remember ever seeing it and it was already fully lit up which meant I had acquired it but the status of it was still locked. Was it a glitch? Also when it says Patron Deity it's talking about The Twelve right? If so then the thirteenth title would be something like saying you're the thirteenth deity huh.

As any other gamer who would do in my predicament I did the obvious and decided to ask google-sensei. I pulled out my phone and typed in the key words into the search bar. After a few seconds all my questions will be answered…is what I thought until it came up with no results.

What? Seriously? How could there not be any results. I consider myself a bit of a casual player if not a complete nerd for final fantasy 14 but there are plenty people far more enthusiastic than me so surely there was someone who came across this before me. Was my thinking too naïve. How could google-sensei betray my expectations? Isn't this just too cruel. I decided to spend the next three hours surfing the net to try to find anything related but even after going through forums about glitches, hidden questlines, bugged titles, etc. I still couldn't find anything. I returned to the game and found that nothing has changed so I close out the main menu only to see a mail notification appear in the top right corner.

That's weird I thought as the only time those ever appeared was when u bought something from the online store or if someone sent you male but the chat system makes the mail system unnecessary. I hadn't bought anything so I thought it might just be an event or something. I used the travel function and teleported to a town point known as the Umbral Palace. The sky was filled with thousands of stars as I emerged from the white light of teleportation. In the distance you could see celestial bodies in the sky of different sizes with what seemed like space was bending around each one keeping them separated. The floor which looked like glass made of some type of white energy made ripples each time a step was taken by the players. In the distance a large building could be seen in the shape of a dome and in the middle of it was what looked like a huge telescope was seen slowly moving around.

The Umbral palace is one of the first major town hubs you come across in the Twilight Warden expansion and easily one of the most visited by players that the creators had to make four different instances of it to help with server congestion. Also known as the gateway to the stars it is the starting point which would lead to the other twelve fragmented worlds. Though I say twelve you don't visit all of them since most have already been lost to Zodiark the god of darkness.

To the right of the large Aetherite Crystal used for transporting was a small floating white creature with a pink pom-pom like object attached to its head and out of place bat wings with a bag over its shoulder. It was the local moogle.

After selecting the moogle the new mail popped open before my eyes.

Sender: ?

Details: ?

Accept: Yes/No

This is seriously bugged. This must be one of those things right. A quest that was put into the games beta expansion before release but the devs never finished the whole questline and forgot about it so its bare skeleton is left in the game. With something as big as this I'm surprised there wasn't anything online about it. This would be a big deal in the gaming community. Maybe I was the first to unlock the quest. I should seriously report this…..but it can't hurt to accept it first. Maybe it was completed and just starts out strange. The excitement of being the first at anything in this game was getting the better of me. I clicked yes on acceptance and the mail closed immediately followed by a prompt asking for confirmation. I confirmed it but then it was followed by another prompt asking if I was sure. I still clicked yes only for a third prompt to come up saying there will be no turning back.

Cryptic was the only word I thought of after that prompt came up. Why would it even come up so often? I can't remember a quest appearing before that was so against you playing it. I actually almost hesitated for a moment wondering if I was strong enough for the quest but I was already level 80 with the strongest equipment. Just to make sure I changed my class from Magus to White Mage and repaired all of my equipment. I returned to the series of prompts and when it stated there will be no turning back I still selected yes. The prompts ended. Golden Letters appeared on the screen that said Pact Completed followed by a message that said my title had been changed to Thirteenth.

Pact Complete? That's a first and since when does the game automatically change your title for you. Was it a quest requirement? As I wait for a quest marker to appear to show me where I need to go next the screen suddenly went black. Huh. Why? Was the power cut I thought before I shook the thought out of my head since the room light was still on. What's going on?

"C'mon, right when I found a new interesting quest."

As I tried to get up so I could check if the screen cord might have come out of the wall I suddenly felt a floating feeling. Confused by the sudden feeling I just stared at the computer screen that seemed as though it was getting farther and farther away. I then realized I was falling through a hole that somehow appeared under me. As I came to this realization I obviously began to scream at the top of my lungs scared witless at what was happening. I turn down and see a light. As I fall into that light I feel my body hitting the ground as I fell on my side and soon after a mountain of books fall down atop me as well. I feel my side that's now in pain and crawl out from under the books.

A Library. No matter how I think about it I'm now in a library. I slowly get up and begin walking around hoping I'll find someone. I see a window and walk towards it hoping I can get an idea of where I am. As I looked out of the window I can't help but to have my mouth gape. Outside I saw a giant blue sphere in the distance. Why did this sight have me stupefied. It was because that blue sphere was a planet. I, Siana Michelle Morgon, was currently not on earth and was probably having a panic attack at this very moment. I staggered back as I tried to grab a nearby chair to keep myself stable but my shaking hands missed the chair and I fell onto the ground.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't make so much noise." A male voice resounded behind me.

I quickly turn back and see a man sitting in a chair reading a book. His hair was completely white and he was wearing what looked like a black suit with gold ornamentations on it. A well featured face with sharp eyes that made me immediately wonder if it was even possible to look so handsome (maybe I have weird taste). Fingers adorned in gold and silver rings with multiple colored jewels within them. A black tie with an hourglass symbol on it. The weirdest thing wasn't just how out of place he seemed here but the giant silver great axe that was leaning against the wall next to him with a pale silver glow.

I'm sorry mother. I'm sorry father. I have been kidnapped by a handsome gangster with an axe fetish and will probably die today. I'm sorry this worthless daughter of yours could not continue the family legacy. I promise if I'm reborn I will change my ways…probably.

"Are you going to continue to sit on the floor?" The main asked as he gestured to one of the wooden chairs nearby.

I did as he asked and sat down while preparing myself for my inevitable end. He then continued to read for another thirty seconds before finally closing the book and laying it down atop the desk.

"I expected to be bombarded by questions but it would seem you have proven me wrong." He said as his golden eyes turned to me

"I…where am I and why am I here?" I mustered the courage and asked

"This is a place between dream and reality. A place that exist between the cracks of space and time. For now you can call it Pandora. As for why you're here it is because you accepted the pact." He said in a polite tone that didn't match his sharp eyes.

"Pact? What are you talking abo…!?" I realized it.

Right before this all happened the golden words that appeared on the screen were Pact Complete. Dear God what have I done?!

"It would seem you remembered. For now I'll allow you to get used to things and give you a portion of my power through a blessing."

"Eh?"

"I guess Gridania will suffice for now."

"wait wait wait stop~. Will you explain things to me more clearly? Get used to what exactly." I said in a panic as my hands waved around

"Try not to die." He stated bluntly as if it was a pain to even talk

Cold sweat flowed down my back at those word. Die? Am I really going to die? Suddenly a puddle of black liquid that looked like the very shadows itself came alive appeared below and began to travel up my legs as it pulled me down. I tried to run but I couldn't move. As if I was completely paralyzed. My body continued to sink as he gazed upon me without the slightest worry. I felt as if my breathing had stopped and the world around me began to lose color. I was really going to die here. As if my body was submerged in thick mud my head now the only thing that hadn't been swallowed. I could feel the black goop continuing to encroach on what was left as I stared at him in abject horror.

"Ah" he said as if realizing something he forgot.

He looked her in the eye as a smile crept onto his face.

"Welcome to Eorzeo."

That was the last thing I heard before my entire world turned to black. Fear overwhelmed me as I tried to struggle with all my might. Cold. I felt cold. As if I was wading through cold water. As if the very tendrils of darkness had robbed me of most of my senses I could only lay there in pain unable to resist the tide.

*Pah!*

I took in a deep breath as I opened my eyes. A dream? Was that just a dream? I could feel my heart rapidly beating as I continued to stare straight up. My eyes had yet to adjust to the light that was blurring my vision. I pulled my hand towards my face to scratch it when it was suddenly obstructed by something. I sat up and held onto the object that was obstructing my hand. I pulled on it then felt a shock of pain go through it that connected to the side of my face. I reflectively held my neck after feeling the pain and felt a really smooth patterned surface. As my vision cleared I realized I was in a forest.

Hearing the subtle sound of water nearby I looked around and saw a small lake not far from me. I quickly got up and dashed to the waters edge to see my reflection. What was reflected back to me was a beautiful Au Ra Xaela Female with pale white skin and lustrous black scales. One eye was white while the other purple, long black hair with purple high lights, black horns that curved from the side of my face to the front and a humble chest.

What was reflected in the water was my game character from Final Fantasy 14, Dinivis Ebonhart.

"Welcome to Eorzea" I mumbled under my breath as I parroted the last things I heard the man say.

This was it. This was real. I was really on the continent of Eorzea in the world of my favorite MMO. I was both happy and confused. Mostly confused. As I sat back in order to collect my thoughts I began to think about the man who was responsible in bringing me here.

A handsome man with a huge presence despite his size. A big silver great axe and a suit. As I combed my memories to find any NPC I might have met in the past with such an appearance I couldn't think of anything. But then I remembered two traits that stood out. He had a large battle axe and an hourglass symbol on his tie. Those two things only symbolize one person.

I looked out into the sky as I learned the identity of the man. The god of space and time.

 **Between the lines**

"Althyk"

The voice of a woman resounded from the white haired mans side.

"Nymeia, and what do I owe the pleasure?" the man said as he turned his gaze to a woman wearing a white silk veil and a white silk dress that accentuated her figure.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh on the girl?" She said as she sat across from him at the table

"Experience is a better teacher than explanation. When she has become accustomed to that world her path will appear before her. For now she needs to learn how to survive at the very least." He said with a sigh

"Even so. She is from a world where she herself had not had to fight for survival and fall into desperation. This may be too much for her." She said slightly worried

"I understand that…however the facts remain the same. If she does die then that just means that we ourselves were asinine in our decision."

The woman sighed as well before she turned her gaze to the window behind her.

"As long as the mother crystal does not interfere then she should be fine is what you want to say isn't it?"

"Is that not true?" he replied following her line of sight to the window

"If things remain the way they are now even the celestial realm will be endangered and not just Hydaleans fragments. Forcing that girl to become the Thirteenth may be too much for her." She said as her gaze continued to look out the window

"We have no choice. This is all we can do now." He said as he closed his eye

"I know…I know. Hers is a fate I cannot read. I only hope she is who we believe her to be or this will have all been for naught." She said as a single tear fell from her cheek.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 01

You're Kidding Right?!

~~2021~~

 **Part 01**

Okay, lets recap.

1\. I fell through the floor of my room into another world

2\. I met the patron deity of space and time for my favorite mmo and was dropped into a random forest

3\. I'm pretty sure I'm wide awake

4\. There is a tree monster trying to kill me

5\. Mhmm. I don't understand anything

Ah. If you're wondering how I ran into the tree monster, or I guess you can call it a treant, then it's a very short story. Well you see….some things happened and yeah…this and that. I'm not very good at explaining ok~.

I look back and realize the treant is no longer there. Eh? Wasn't it trying to kill me? Did it lose interest? Are my escaping skills higher than I thought? Did I not look appetizing? Somehow…I'm happy I'm alive but why do I feel a sense of defeat. I won't think about it. I stop to look at my surroundings and came to realize I had no idea where I was. That is to say I didn't know from the beginning but now I really think I'm lost.

*Grumble grumble*

I'm hungry. I really need to find something to eat or I'm going to starve. Ah, now that I think about it I should probably have brought some of that water from earlier with me. Then again I don't exactly have any containers for it. Then there is the problem with my clothes. I check myself out before heaving a big sigh. It looks cool but…its kind of embarrassing to wear. Even more so because it doesn't have any weight. I literally don't feel any fabric. I know the clothes are supposed to be made of literal lights and energy and stuff but I feel like there just expensive censoring. My mental health can't take being seen in this or I'm going to feel like some kind of streaking pervert. Why couldn't I be wearing something like the antiquated channelers set or something?

Suddenly the lights the clothes were made of expanded then contrasted as it wrapped around my limbs.

"Wh-what is this!? I'm not into bondage play!" I exclaimed as the astral lights continued to wrap around my body.

Before long there color changed as the lights began to weave together like strands of silk before finally it stopped. I checked out my clothes again and realized I was now wearing the antiquated channelers set. The tight fitting white clothes showed my naval but still had a good balance of what amount of skin was shown. The little bit of armor that was on my shoulder was flexible and didn't hinder any of my movements. My clothes actually changed. Isn't this like a huge cheat?! Is this like auto glamour or did it really change into the material? It probably actually changed since I can feel some weight on my body now. Not only was that cool but it gets rid of the initial problem of feeling like I was walking around in my birthday suit.

Now to solve the problem of food…

…

…

…?

I have no idea. I can't really expect there to be any supermarkets around here. To think that it was just yesterday that I was complaining about their new potato chip flavor being too expensive. Supermarket-san, I'm sorry. Please come back to me. I'll never complain about your rip off er-I mean perfectly convenient prices again. I'm not bitter okay.

I sigh as I look around. How many years of my life have I lost sighing today. At least a good five. I suddenly stop after hearing the nearby bushes rustle. Is this dinner calling me? I said as I jumped into the bush at the culprit of the noise. As I look on I notice the creature I've grabbed looked extremely similar to a deer with horns. It was large and not alone. I'm sorry but will you become my food I thought to myself as I held onto its tail. That's when I noticed I was not only surrounded by them but they were all taking hostile stances. Wait. Weren't these supposed to be the docile ones!?

One of them charged at me with its full strength. Beloved mother, beloved father, I'm sorry this worthless daughter ate the last of the Haagen Daz ice cream three years ago and blamed it on the cat. I promise if I'm reborn I will change my ways…..probably. I looked at the stag as it charged at me but then I noticed something strange.

?

"It's slow. Really really slow." I said aloud

I then let go of the other stag's tail as I stepped away and watched the second stag charge past me. I then noticed it. It wasn't just the stag moving slow, everything around me was moving at a slower speed.

"Heavy Shot!"

Along with a shout an arrow with a bluish aura flew over my head and pierced the body of the second stag causing it to reel back. Immediately afterwards a shadow flew over me and attacked.

"Full thrust!" the figure shouted as he quickly thrust his weapon into the breast of the first stag to finish it then immediately followed up with another thrust towards the second as it passed us by. As I regained my senses I realized the person who stood before me was an older man much taller than myself with long pointed ears and a face with thick stubble. An Elezon.

He turned towards me with a serious expression then grabbed my hand. He dragged me off towards the direction where the arrow came from where I saw an elezon woman with short brown hair up ahead. I didn't resist as they pulled me along away from the stags. After running for about seven minutes the woman checked our surrounding area before releasing a sigh of relief. The man had finally let go of my hand as he hung his spear off of his shoulder. Judging by their attire I think it would be safe to say they're from the Gridanian military. Most likely the wood wailers.

"A young miss like you shouldn't be walking around the Twelveswood without an escort. The animals are becoming more aggressive as of late and until we can learn why it's not safe to wonder around alone." The elezon man said to me with concern

"Though judging from your attire we may have been the ones to butt in. Are you an adventurer?" the woman said as she walked over

"Ah!...um..er..well you see." I stumbled over my words

Now that I think about it I don't have any form of identification or even a background. Can't really go around saying 'hi, I'm a girl from a different world kidnapped by your patron deity's and forced to come to this world against my will.' Haha. I can already see myself being burned at the stake or something for that. Maybe I'll just do something simple and hope it works out.

"I'm Dinivis Ebonhart. A travelor from the far east." I said with an awkward smile

"I see. So you're not from Eorzia." The woman commented as she looked over me

"Y-yes. I'm from the Azim Steppes."

Ah, my eyes are swimming. I definitely look like a suspicious person.

"That is a long journey indeed. Though I can't say I know anything about your homeland I do know its located across the sea. For now allow me to introduce myself. I am Royaut Zierette. This is my partner Irie Drosuste." The man said with a smile

Irie showed a bit of annoyance as she looked at him before putting herself between us and speaking.

"Do you have any form of identification? Even as a traveler a permit is needed to enter Gridanian territories." She said with a scowl

Did I do something to upset her. No way~. Have I already made enemies without realizing it?

"I-I don't have any." I responded half-heartedly

"Hmm."

She bent down a little to bring herself to eye level with me and began to look at me from head to toe. Is she inspecting me? They don't think I'm a spy or something do they?

"Hey Irie. Don't you think you're being a little harsh on her? It's obvious she's confused about all this." Her partner interjected

"Confused? Gridania is not near the sea so she couldn't have sailed in on accident. She doesn't have any identification or doesn't want to show any if she does and the only way she could get in is by airship or land from Thanalan or Lomensan routes. A permit is needed for both which means she snuck into our border. Everything about her is suspicious." Irie asserted with a hand on her hip and a finger in Royauts face.

They totally think I'm a spy!

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation." The man said as he put his hands up in defense

"You can't be nice to every pretty face you come across! This is why you've never gotten a promotion or bonus. If you're not going to take this seriously then just quit!" she yelled before turning back to me

Um. Is he okay? He's on the ground like he was gravely wounded from a critical hit. Shouldn't we worry about his HP or something?

"You're going to come with me back to camp. Question is will you resist or not?" she said with a glare

"T-that is."

I'm really not good with the aggressive types. I didn't even know the whole smile that's not a smile thing even existed! How can you be this scary with a smile!?

"Can you take me to an adventurers guild to get an ID." I asked with a little strength in my voice

Uwah~. She stopped smiling and is giving me an even more intense glare.

"You don't think suddenly getting an ID will make you innocent do you?"

"W-well…That is to say"

Ah, my eyes are swimming again. I should really try better not to do that when I'm nervous.

In defeat and without any further resistance I, Dinivis Ebonhart, have become a criminal and possible enemy of the state. This is depressing. Not even in this world for a day and monsters tried to kill me, I'm hungry, being treated like a criminal, and don't even have the power to resist. Isn't this a little too harsh for a tutorial? Royaut hasn't spoken sense he took the brunt of that mental attack earlier. Seriously, is he really going to be alright? He looks like a walking zombie.

The trip to their camp took six hours of walking. The girl would occasionally start talking to herself. It wasn't until the second hour that Royaut regained some vigor and informed me she was making reports using the linkpearl in her ear. A Linkpearl huh. We used those in the game for static raid groups and negotiating prices for items with high level crafters in those statics. Most people would just use the market board but there were those like my friends who wanted items or materials in exchange for things they crafted over gil. Personally I liked that more since everyone got what they wanted in the end. A good portion of the equipment I used was received through such means.

When we arrived the first thing I saw was a tall wall that reached higher than any of the trees in the immediate area. There were soldiers at the gate that was big enough for two horse carriages. They were well armed and looked like they were ready for anything.

'I am not a threat!' I screamed inside as they glared at me in passing. As we passed the gates I saw a huge crystal that floated in the distance that was as high as the walls. Other smaller crystals floated around as if it had its own orbit as it gave off a bright blue light.

"Aetheryte" I muttered under my breath in awe

It was huge but beautiful. Like I was looking at a giant jewel carved by the hand of gods and left to decorate the world around it. It had that sort of feeling. A feeling close to nostalgia welled up inside me. Was this nostalgia from when I played the game? I was just playing it a couple hours ago so that can't be it. Maybe it's the difference between seeing the Aetheryte in person rather than through a screen but can this feeling really be nostalgia? I shook the thoughts out of my head since thinking about it wasn't going to change anything. I turned my eyes away from the giant crystal as I surveyed my surroundings. I saw a lot of soldiers wearing similar attire as the two who brought me here and a few normal citizens mixed in.

The two brought me to a wooden building two times the size of any of the others. When I walked inside I was greeted by muscles. No, that wasn't a pun. Muscles were all I could describe it as. A mountain of muscles with a head. How should I say this? The curved gentleman mustache he was playing with didn't match him at all. Honestly was this thing even of the races. Was there a character like this in the game? He stared at me with menacing eyes as if I was a small prey. Can I please roll the roulette and get a different guy please?

"Is this the woman." The man said as he turned his gaze to the other two

"Yes, I've brought her like I said." Irie said with a salute

"Oh dear. Then I'll inform the interrogation officers now." He said as he put his hand up to the linkpearl in his ear and began speaking

"Eh? Is he not the person who will be interrogating me?" I voiced in surprise

"Hm? Why would the receptionist interrogate you?" Royaut asked like a question mark was floating over his head

"Eh? This guy is just the receptionist?"

How the hell was I supposed to know that?! Have you seen those muscles?! He looks like he bench presses mountains for a living.

"That won't be necessary" a male voice echoed from the doorway behind me

When all eyes turned to the door the two who escorted me immediately fell in line and saluted while the receptionist(?) did the same. The one at the door was what appeared to be a child with short black hair and tanned skin. His pink eyes settled on me as a smile appeared. The most noticeable thing were the white horns peeking out of his hair. This guy is a padjel. One of the un-aging children. The characters created a lot of expectation when the mmo was first coming out but when people came to realize it wasn't a playable race they ultimately were regulated as characters that eventually became easily forgettable outside of the Seedsear Kan-E-Sana.

"Please, there is no reason to be so formal." He said to the others who all appeared as though they were holding their breaths

Royaut was the first to break the silence.

"What do you mean not necessary?" he asked nervously

"There is no need for interrogating this woman. I will take full responsibility for her for as long as she is in the Twelveswood." He said as he gesture for me to follow him

The others all looked like they had something to say but were too hesitant to speak up. The authority of a padjel is over nine thousand. I am officially not a criminal of the state anymore.

I followed him out of the building. I continued to follow him until we came to a place a bit further from the populated areas. When he stopped I could feel a bit of tension in the air so I decided to try to make it a little less awkward.

"Thank you for helping me back there. I really appreciate it." I said with a smile

"It was no problem. Besides, there are things I want to know about you too after all." He said as he turned to me with a wry smile

Eh? Did I trigger a flag somewhere? Is this that legendary event that only happens in JP games? I never had this experience back in my world…? Why do I suddenly feel like I've been defeated? Nope. I won't think about it.

"What are you?" he asked with a little more of a serious expression.

Eh? What does he mean by that?

"Lately the elementals have been in disarray. The sudden hostile actions of the animals is proof of that. Then suddenly as of earlier the elementals became joyous. Honestly speaking I am confused since the cause of the most recent issue has still not found a resolution and yet the elementals had all calmed down into a serene state all at once. I can still feel there panic but more than that is reassurance." He said to me all at once

Ah, so it wasn't a special event. I really need to learn to read the atmosphere better. But what he said is a bit worrying. The elementals probably calmed down because they felt the power of one of the twelve sending me here but sorry, I don't have any power to help you sir~.

"I think you have the wrong person." I said with a wry smile while rubbing the back of my head

"I would think so to since their reaction is similar to when a padjel is born and considering you're not one it is indeed strange. But looking at you in person I find you equally strange. Even the elementals in your immediate area show a clear difference in emotion. Even your aether is a bit different than the average person. Admittedly I have never met one of your race before so that may just be a trait of your kind but the elementals reaction is a different matter."

I don't remember this character being so talkative in the game!

'I am not a threat!' I screamed on the inside

"I don't think you are either" he replied

"Eh, did you just read my mind?" I asked in awe

"No, it would seem you were thinking out loud" he said with a chuckle

I made a blunder! How embarrassing

"I don't think you are a threat or the elementals emotions would not have changed so much. However, I'm concerned about the fact you aren't an ally either. Exactly where do you stand?"

"I just want to live a peaceful life and maybe go on a few adventures. Is that so much to ask?" I said with a tired look

"…I understand." He said with another chuckle before putting his hand behind his back and continuing.

"Why don't you join the adventurers guild? Though Gridania is not exactly fond of adventurers it would afford you the freedom to come and go as you please."

Why did his tune change so abruptly!? He definitely wants something.

"If you wonder of my aims it is simply to help you help me. I will make arrangements for you to stay at the local inn for a week but after that you'll be own your own ok." He said before walking off.

Help me to help him. I see. As an adventurer I'd be taking commissions from clients and doing odds jobs to make a living. By becoming an adventurer he can request for my assistance and I'd have to help. Well, I guess I could decline but wouldn't that be the same as slapping a beloved president in the face. That's not a good idea. Now that I think about it aren't I trapped? I can't leave without a permit but I can't receive a permit without becoming an adventurer which also means I can't refuse him if I'm requested.

Crap. Isn't this bad? This is a pretty bad situation. He won't request anything weird right. No, I need to look at all my options. Something I will do tomorrow. I'm tired and still pretty hungry. After walking around for a while and asking for directions I finally ended up at the inn and was now laying in an uncomfortable bed made of straw with a blanket cast over it on top of a wooden frame. I stared at the ceiling asking myself why I was brought here.

I don't have any power as far as I can tell. I'm not even sure I would be able to survive as an adventurer with the way things are now. Its not a game anymore so I can't know how strong I am in comparison to others or what it is I'm capable of doing. Why was I brought here?

"You could at least give me a main menu or something you jerk!" I scream out at that kidnapping space time mafia god

*Ping*

"eh?"

The hell is this? It actually appeared! A nearly transparent screen with menu options appear in my vision. It didn't have nearly as many options as the main menu screen from the game but beggars can't be choosers or something like that. The first thing I went to was my character menu. On my equipment screen I saw myself reflected in it and my equipment name was Goddesses Regalia. Its effects were pretty insane too.

Unique: untradeable

Goddesses Regalia:

Nullifies all status ailments except unique

Clothes regenerate damage over time

Automatic Regen effect

Automatic Refresh Effect

Can change shape into any other garment once every 48 hours as long as its been in owners possession at least once

Can block one fatal attack once every 182 days. (only applies if Goddesses Regalia is in original form)

Absorbs 15% of damage from all spells

Animus Lux Necklace

All spells do 2x damage when wearing Goddesses Regalia in Original Form

When Goddesses Regalia has transformed all spells do 1.5x damage

Magic Catalyst so weapon is unnecessary to cast magic

Anima Weiss: sleep mode (requires level 2) Awaken: Yes/No: Conditions are not met

Automatic damage repair

It doesn't increase any of my stats and even has zero defenses but the abilities are really good. But if it doesn't have any real defensive abilities then doesn't that mean any one attack can pretty much kill me? Then there this necklace, it increases my damage potential by a lot but still doesn't make up for me being a glass cannon. I guess I ultimately need to focus on offense then. A good offense is a good defense after all….or so I've heard. At least I can use magic without a weapon…just need to find out how to use magic now.

Looking at my status values I didn't know what to think either. To put it bluntly they were lopsided and even worse is that they were low. My stats were comparable to a beginner player that just finished the halfway point of the first portion of the game. My magic stats were all sitting around 200 while my other more physical stats all sat around 100 with my speed stat at 180. No, I feel like even beginners would laugh at me with my current stats but at the very least I won't be one shot…probably.

The other thing that stands out is my level. It doesn't match my status. My level is 1. That's right. Single digit 1 with 5 experience points. Wait, when did I even get experience!? Was it when Royaut killed that deer like monster. (I should really get a monster guide for these monster names or something). Either way this means I have a huge growth potential right. I'm starting to feel like a cheat character

I clicked onto the next tab and see something else that stands out. My Race. My race doesn't fall under any category from the game even though I share an appearance with the Au Ra. My race even has racial skills attached to it.

Race: Goddess of Magic and Rebirth

Racial Skills:

Mana cost for magic is 0

Cast time for magic is 0

Magic creation: can create new magic but won't be counted as a set learned magic unless used in a stable state ten times. (Uses mana)

Grimoires Knowledge (Locked: requires level 2)

Echoes (Locked: requires level 3)

Aetherial Perception (Locked: requires level 4)

Goddesses Wrath (Locked: requires level 5)

All Creation (Locked: requires level 6)

Final Embrace (Locked: requires level 7)

My racial skills are also pretty overblown but I guess it will help me against fighting stronger opponents. Another thing was the fact I had skills that were still locked until I level up. My last racial skill is acquired at level 7. Isn't that really easy. Only seven levels is all I need to get all my racial skills. The bigger concern though is if I'll even be able to finish off the monsters I fight. I noticed earlier when Royaut stabbed the deer like animal with his spear it bled. This really isn't a game anymore. If I'm hurt I'll bleed and die too. I guess there is a chance I can respawn but I don't want to take that risk. In the end I guess I'm the Goddess of Magic and Rebirth but aren't I too pitiful for that. Can't we just send me home and forget this ever happened? I'll forgive you space time mafia god.

I notice a small icon in the window of my racial skills. I click on it and it reads 'Althyk's Blessing'. I remember he said he'd give me a blessing. I read the description and didn't know if I should feel grateful or not.

The ability to pull up the menu to show information in a way that can be easily understood. (Cannot look at information on others besides oneself)

The ability to use a pocket of space for inventory (cannot place intelligent life forms inside)

This is almost on the side of trolling but I'm grateful nonetheless. I guess before I go to sleep I should at least look at my skills. I return to the main menu and choose actions. What I see is a list of all the magic skills I learned from my time in the game. All of them. They weren't divided into different classes or job systems but were all listed as available spells. Survival doesn't look so out of reach now. However my physical skills only listed the skills from my other classes up to level 30. So in the end I do have close quarters combat abilities but they only go up to my level 30 skills.

With this I have a better understanding of my abilities but until I have a comparison I can't say that I'm completely in the green. Still a lot more questions and even more complaints but for now I'm going to sleep on it and figure things out tomorrow. Good night world.

I close my eyes and soon drift into the land of dreams.

 **In Between the Lines**

The sound of water dripping onto the stone floor echoed in the cavernous space. The vegetation in the area had already long since died and only black mold covered the floor like a carpet. A single man was walking in the cave with caution as he surveyed the area. He had a weapon in hand but it was obvious he was no warrior. He was merely a botanist that had come here to collect the herbs he had promised his client. This was supposed to be like any other job. He had come here numerous times to collect the same materials and the cave had always provided. In fact he was here only two weeks ago for materials.

But this time was different. It had only been two weeks yet the cave had become a place that seemed difficult to collect anything for years. As if the materials he had always collected from this place was a lie. No monsters appeared. No animals. The alarms were going off in his head over and over again as his very being told him to flee yet he pressed on in order to find the source of this problem. If he could find the source he could report it so it could be taken care of.

As he drew further to the back of the cave he began to hear sobbing. A crying voice. No it wasn't just one voice. He could hear the crying of multiple people. Their crying overlapping and unharmonious seem odious as he drew closer. Were these people kidnapped by something? Was it a new monster variant with intelligence? If so why was there no news about disappearances? Could this be why the animals had all but gone into a frenzy? He drew closer until finally he could see what laid before him and he could only stand there in horror.

A creature that didn't have a definitive form. As if it was made from a pitch black mud its shape would continue to change from a something like a child to an adult each with a different and grotesque build. The cries he heard were coming from this black mud who would occasionally have two or three faces appear on its surface each crying in agony. The faces spotted him and started to wail as the muds shape changed into that of a grotesque woman whose black body had already rotted long ago but still had the substance of a thick liquid as it moved towards him.

"mOthEr. MoMmy. mAMa." It spoke

The man was frozen in fear for but a moment before he turned around and began to run as fast as he could

"DoN't LeaVe mE MotHEr" it's dissonant voice echoed behind

Its body warped as the lower part of it changed into a wave of muck that carried it forward. The man did not look back. He didn't want to look back. He didn't want to stay in the nightmare any longer than he had too. Fear was all he felt as it fueled his desperation to live and forced his legs to carry him far faster than he had ever run before. He suddenly tripped and fell onto the black mold that covered the ground as he looked back.

The creatures muddy arms had stretched out and wrapped around his ankles as he struggle to break free. He brought down his sword onto the black mud over and over but to no avail it merely slipped through the mud as if the mud itself didn't recognize the sword a threat. He clawed the ground until his fingers touched the cave floor and began to bleed in an attempt to drag his body away. He grew frantic as he felt his body being dragged back towards the mud.

"LOneLy. I wAS sO lonely. I doN'T wANT tO Be alone AnyMOre." The sludge in the shape of a grotesque woman wailed at him with the voice of several different people

Soon the man took his sword in hand as he stared at the creature then his leg. He was drenched in cold sweat as his hands trembled and his eyes shut.

"ARGHHHH" he screamed as he brought the sword down

He felt a sharp pain that quickly spread through his body as he continued to hack away. As he opened his eyes he saw the cut flesh and ripped sinew of his leg as he had hacked it off. Blood poured onto the black mold below him as he immediately ignore his mutilated leg and got up using the sword as a crutch. He quickly limped away as the creature pulled the severed leg into itself and stared at the man as he ran.

"StAy wIth ME. We cAN Be together ForEVeR."

It said as if to deny him that last moment of desperation. It charged at him again as the man sped his steps using the wall as a crutch and began to pray to the twelve. The creature wrapped its arms around his remaining leg as he once more fell to the ground. Too frightened to even scream he only closed his eyes as he struggled. Feeling his body slowly grow cold and the burning sensation from his severed leg burning even more intensely. The creature dragged him towards itself as other arms began to reach out of its body. Each one grabbed him and lifted him into the air.

He opened his eyes as he stared directly at the face of the creature. Tears streamed down his face as he began to make sobbing noise. His body was being brought closer towards the creature inch by inch.

"together ForEVeR"

The creature said as it opened its arms as if to embrace the man. He could slowly feel his body being pulled into the creatures mucky body as he continued to struggle before he no longer felt and strength. In the end the last thing he could see was the herb he had come to collect on a nearby wall before his vision had turned to black. The creature stopped for a moment after absorbing him then looked around.

"MotHEr? WhERe Did YoU gO MaMA? LoNeLY. I'm SO LonE…"it paused before losing its shape and become a puddle of black mud once again releasing the crying of a discordant chorus.

 **Afterward**

Hi all. I'm Cultsu. It's nice to meet you all and I am happy that if you read the first chapter and decided to check out the second chapter that means I caught your interest. This is the first time I've ever written anything that mostly takes place from first person point of view so I don't really know how well I'm doing so I hope you can leave some comments. I accept all forms of criticism except outright talking trash and thank you in advance. I hope you enjoy what I have in store for this story and I hope to continue on a biweekly release. Also, yes. It became dark real quick but there will be fluffy moments to balance the dark…probably.


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